Post World War II: Resettlement

Over 120,000 Japanese Americans - two-thirds of whom were native-born American citizens -- were incarcerated in concentration camps during World War II. Within Japanese American history, this period has been widely documented, but little attention has been given to the process of resettlement and reintegration after the war. Understanding the resettlement period (roughly 1945-1965) is crucial to gauging the full impact of the incarceration.

After their release from the camps, many Japanese Americans had no home, job or community to come back to. In this collection of photographs and written personal memories, local community members tell how they rebuilt their lives and raised their families in the postwar environment here in the Santa Clara Valley.